Roly-poly device



July 9i 1946- F. M. Hoovr-:R Ei- AL 2,403,531

HOLY-POLY DEVIGE Filed Jan. 6, 1945 Patented July 9, 1'946 Y.

ROBY-POLY DEVICE Frank M. Hoover and Edwin E. Hoover, Youngs-Y town, Ohio,V assignors to Hoover Products, Inc.,

Youngstown,l Ohio, a corporation of Ohio ApplicationY January 6, 1945, Serial No. 571,593

7 Claims. (Cl. i6-1,)

Our invention relates toa roly poly, that is, to a device which may be rocked or tilted from a vertical position on a supporting surface, and which upon being freed' from external influence, will right itself- The center of gravity ofthe device is so oriented that the body tends always to return to a true vertical position.

A roly poly device of the sort to which the invention is more particularly directed consists in a hollow body having, and being adapted to stand on, a substantially semispherical bottom. Within the body a weight or mass is concentrated to provide a center of gravity so located that the body is in stable equilibrium as long asf it stands in righted position. When rocked kor tilted oui'l of such position the tendency of the unbalanced mass is to swing the body back into righted position.

' Our invention consists in certain new and useful improvements in the construction-of roly poly devices, whereby such devices may be manufactured inmass-.production with maximum precisionI and uniformity in the structure and operation or thedevices, and with economy of labor and materials. I

vThe device of the invention is particularly designed for roly poly toys, such as the toy illustrated and described in Letters Patent No. 2,351,- 762, granted to us `Tune 20, 1944. vThe toy of theseLetters Patent consists in a hollow` ball or sphere formed of transparent material, and having a roly poly enclosedv therewithin, whereby, when theV sphere is rolled or turned the roly poly resting upon-the internal surface ofthe sphere atl its lowerpointl or bottom portion, rocks and sways, and creeps or slides over said internal surface of the sphere, ultimately comes: to rest, the roly' poly will stand in an upright position.

The invention will, forl purposes of illustration, beV described as it is embodied in a roly poly ments that form the body of the roly poly in y vertical section, and the weight element that-is secured with the body in side. elevation.; and

. Figure 3` is a view in front elevation of one of the bodyelements oliA the device, with the weight element illustrated in assembledipositiontherein. Referring to the drawing, it will be understood thatthe roly poly device! in this case consists in a hollow body having arelatively large spherical body portion 3 and a relatively small spherical head portion 4 connected tothe body portion by means of a neck portion 5. The device is adapted to `stand upon `a supporting surface, and. thev lower half of the spherical body portion 3 pro-- vides a s'emispherical base portion upon which the device may be Icaused to rock or roll on said supporting surface. Within the hollow body of this semispherical base portion a weight element 6 is secured, thereby giving the device a center of gravity which is eective normally to sustain the supported vdevice in the upright position in which it is shown in Figure 1.

In accordance with the invention the body of the device-is formed oi a plurality of hollow shell elements, in the present instance, and preferably in any instance, of two. complementaryV shell elements 1 and 8, each integrally molded of any suitable. molding-.plastic material or molding compound. One hali of the body portion 3, head portion 4 and neck portion 5 is formed in each shell element, and the two shell elements are adapted to be united edge to edge to form the completed hollow body of the device. The edge of the shellelement 'l is provided with a continuous flange or rib 9, while the edge of shell element 8 is provided with a complementary groove Ill.V The two shell elements are united by means of a plastic cement, with the iiange 9 seated in the groove I0, and inthe assembled structure the joint between the two shell elements is ne seam l I that is almostJ imperceptible when the shell elementsY are formed of' colored plastic material;

Oi' course,.a simulation oi the hair, eyes, ears, nose and mouth of a. human being may be painted' or otherwise applied to the head portion 4 of. the device, and arms and clothing, etc., may be similarly applied to the body Aportion 3.

An important feature of the invention resides in the particular manner in which the weight element 6 is organized and secured within the lower half of' the body portion 3 of the device. Additionally, the specialized form of the weight element, and of the means for securing it in 4place. are also matters of prime importance.

Theweight, necessarily formed of' a heavy material, such as a suitable metal, is disk-shaped, and as such may be readily and inexpensively stampedirom a sheet or plate of such metal as lead or steel, the latter metal being preferable, and if need be the sharp edges resulting from the die-punching of the circular disk from steel plate may be ground or filed'oi, as is indicated in the drawing.

'- The means for securing vthe disk-shaped weight` 3 of the assembled device, and proyidewithin the bottom region of the device a chamber I4 in which the weight element is confined. The partition member I2 in each shell element need not extend all of the way from the internal semispherical surface to the plane of the edge of the shell element (see Fig. 2), since the partition I2,

I2 in the assembled structure (Fig. l) need not be continuous in its extent across the interior ofthe hollow body portion 3. It suffices that these shall be effective to secure the weight element in a horizontal position in the chamber I 4, as may be understood upon viewing Figures l and 3. In its ultimate position of assembly the diskshaped weight element bears marginally or at its edge upon the internal surfaces of the assembled shell elements, and the partition members I2 bear from above on the weight element and secure it in tightly seated position. It will here be noted that each partition element is integrally formed with a cylindrical rib I3. In the assembled structure the ribs on the two partitions I2, I2 are aligned, and are adapted to bear upon the upper face of the Weight element, thus providing a diametrical line contact with the top of the weight element, while at the bottom of the weight element a circumferential line of contact is established with the confining body of the device. This insures accuracy and permanency of position of the Weight element, with elimination of any tendency for the weight element to become loose and to rattle.

The structure described is not only distinctive and Valuable in its ultimate assembly, but it is noteworthy that the structure admits of ease of the assembling operation.` In making the assembly, the two shell elements, with plastic ceshell elements are pressed together edge to edge,`

the weight disk is automatically forced into precisely the proper position, and there secured by the marginal and diametrical line contacts a1- ready described. The cement used on the edges of the shell elements is a quick setting cement, whereby the operation of assembling the structure is effected with speed as well as accuracy.

Within the terms of the appended claims many modifications and variations of the exemplary structure described may be adoptedwithout departure from the spirit of the invention We claim as our invention:

1. A roly poly comprising a hollow body formed of a plurality of assembled shell elements, at

least one of said shell elements being equipped with a transverse member, and a weight disk arranged below said member and securedthereby in marginally seated position upon `the internal surface of said hollow body.

2. A roly poly comprising a hollow body formed of a plurality of molded and assembled shell elements, the bottom portion of said hollow body being substantially semi-spherical in form, a diskshaped weight element, and means molded integrally on the internal surface of at least one of said shell elements to secure said weight element 4 in marginally seated and substantially fixed position on the internal surface of said semi-spherical bottom portion.

3. A roly poly comprising a hollow body formed of a Y plurality of molded and assembled shell elements, the bottom portion of said hollow body being substantially semi-spherical in form, a diskshaped weight element, and means molded integrally on the internal surface of each of said shell elements and cooperating to Asecure said weight element in marginally seated and substantially fixed position on the internal surface of said semi-spherical bottom portion.

4. A .roly poly comprising a hollow body formed .of two molded shell elements assembled and secured edge to edge, each shell element having a .transverse partition member molded integrally on its internal surface, said partition members providing in the assembled structure a transverse wall that defines a weight-retaining chamber in the lower portion of said hollow body, and a diskshaped weight secured by said transverse wall in marginally seated position upon the internal surface of said hollow body below said wall.

5. A roly poly comprising a hollow body formed of two molded shell elements assembled and secured edge to edge, each shell element having a transverse partition member molded integrally on its internal surface, said partition members providing in the assembled structure a transverse wall-that denes a weight-retaining chamber in the lower portion of said'hollow body and a diskshaped weight secured by said transverse wall in the lower portion of said hollow body, said partition members being formed with protuberances that engage said weight substantially as described.

6. In a roly poly device comprising a body having a basal portion of substantially semispherical external contour upon which the device is adapted to stand and having a body portion extending upward from said basal portion, and a weightr element contained in said basal portion of the body; the. invention herein described wherein said body comprises two shell elements of molded plastic material arranged to be laterally assembled and united in a vertically extending seam, at least one of said shell elements having molded. integrally therewith an internal protuberance which provides in conjunction with the body Portions of both shell elements, when the shell elements are laterally assembled upon said weight element, security of assembly of the weight element in the roly poly device.

7. In a roly poly device comprising a body having a basal portion of substantially semi-spherical external contour upon which the device is adapted to stand and having a body portion extending upward from said basal portion, and a weight element contained in said basal portion of the body; the invention herein described wherein said body comprises two shell elements of molded plastic material arranged to be laterally assembled and united in a verticallyl extending seam, said shell elements having molded integrally severally therewith internal protuberances which together provide in conjunction with the body -portions of both shell elements, when the shell elements are laterally assembled upon said weight element, security of assembly of the weight element in the roly poly device.

FRANK M. HOOVER. EDWIN E. HOOVER. 

